messy

adjective

ˈme-sē How to pronounce messy (audio)
Definition of messynext
as in chaotic
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness having a messy room is virtually de rigueur for a college student

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of messy But when the subject of blood comes into it, things get messy. — Tommy Orange, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026 The result is a heartfelt, chaotic and wildly funny story about friendship, family, fame and the messy line between myth and reality. — David Hookstead Outkick, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026 The messy melee takes place for over an hour in the town, where buildings are covered with tarps ahead of the festivities. — ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026 Here the impact of acetaldehyde becomes messier than the supplement ads let on. — Shayla Love, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for messy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messy
  1. chaotic
  2. sloppy
  3. cluttered
  4. confused
  5. littered
  6. jumbled
  7. filthy
Adjective
  • To cap the most chaotic week of his managerial career, Joe Espada celebrated his 51st birthday on Sunday.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Today marks five years since the chaotic, deadly ending of America's nearly 20-year war in Afghanistan.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of chaotic
Adjective
  • There was a celebration of what Daniels can do at any point, which is to cover up inconsistency and sloppy execution by others with his extraordinary talent.
    — Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The Chargers looked sloppy in their 41-17 home loss to the San Francisco 49ers last week, following an inspiring 27-7 road win over the Houston Texans, and now aim for a better on-field product in their final tuneup.
    — Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of sloppy
Adjective
  • Still, there’s a kind of hip, comfort food aspect to the entire enterprise that keeps it an easy, if slightly cluttered and overlong watch.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Some storage features seem helpful in theory but can actually make a room look more cluttered than organized.
    — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of cluttered
Adjective
  • Also, if the switch from side by side to one-front/one-back happened instantaneously, your brain would get confused about how to interpret the images delivered from each eye, since the setup would be quite different from what you were used to.
    — Abigail Witmer, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Critics of the move have been vocal, and many residents were left confused.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of confused
Adjective
  • In the past, her songs were so littered with personal details that listening felt voyeuristic.
    — Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 31 Mar. 2026
  • The series does not touch on the tabloid attention that followed the Beckhams in 2004, when it was alleged that David had an affair with his personal assistant, Rebecca Loos, and the many further accusations of cheating that littered gossip columns after.
    — Scarlett Harris, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
Definition of littered
Adjective
  • Entering the season, two quarterbacks sit in the top tier, followed by a drop-off to the second and third tiers — both of which are crowded and jumbled.
    — Dane Brugler, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Imagine a termite carving a path like a jumbled ball of string through a tree trunk, instead of an axe cleaving a single vector.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of jumbled
Adjective
  • People were filthy in so many ways, so Mike really wrote that in.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2026
  • While sinks can become filthy from soap splatters and dirty hands, toilets need cleaning for very different reasons.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of filthy

Browse Nearby Words

mess (with)
messy
met
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Messy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messy. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All